Men’s Glastonbury Fashion Review – Part 1

Music & Style Festival

Glastonbury has become one of those events on the calendar each and every year which just sucks in the majority of Brits for a whole weekend – whether we like the artists on the line-up or not. These days, there is something for every musical taste – from Mumford & Sons and Beyonce to Pendulum and even the Wu-Tang Clan. With such an incredible eclectic mix of artists, genres and individuals attending the event, music is not the only thing under the spotlight; fashion has become such a huge part of the spectacle, with everyone wanting to know what each artist will be wearing and the crowd all trying to ‘one-up’ each other to be seen as a stylish male or female.

Of course, it gets harder to do this when the weather keeps changing between scorching heat and tropical downpours (and the mud… we can’t forget the mud), but yet again, Glastonbury 2011 did not disappoint. Today we have the first of a 2 part round-up showcasing the style of some of the most popular male orientated bands and artists on the line-up. Due to the event only just finishing, we have tried to source some of the best pictures we can in order to give you some visual inspiration and break down what they got right. Hopefully there will be something for everyone’s personal taste.

So without further ado, let’s see some of the stylish guys who were parading their stuff on the Friday/Saturday…

Friday/Saturday: Glastonbury

Notes: All images are courtesy of the BBC at Glastonbury. Please do not take it personally if I do not know the names of all the members of your favourite band, this really is a break down of the fashion and I am not trying to cause any offence. I will be referring to images by ‘top/bottom/left/right’ image.

Mumford & Sons

So let’s start with the brilliant Mumford & Sons, who by all accounts produced an amazing set on the larger ‘Other Stage’ and didn’t let any of their loyal fans down.

I love what they were doing with regards to spring/summer tailoring in the image above. First we have a great way to dress down what was actually a traditional morning jacket (see video coverage here), by layering a grey/beige plaid shirt (could be an overshirt or jacket) over a plain white button up shirt [top]. The shirt has a few buttons left undone to really give off a more relaxed refined look, whilst the headband just adds a quirkiness which plays on the whole clash between formal and festival. If headbands aren’t your thing (I can’t blame you), then a trilby or fedora would be a perfect substitute.

What you can take away from here is that this works as a great way to dress down a blazer. By just leaving a couple of buttons undone and throwing in some interesting patterns and pops of colour within your layering, you can take what is typically a very formal item (especially in black) and integrate it into your smart casual looks. Ideal for getting more use out of your suit jackets, although unstructured blazers would be the preference. Pair with slim grey jeans or some beige chinos this year to really hit the perfect balance between smart and casual.

I love the bottom outfit [above bottom] because of the contrast between the layers. White, beige tones and light grey (or light blue) work wonderfully well together, as they have just enough contrast to make each layer stand out and are very much suited to the spring/summer seasons. The introduction of a waistcoat gives the overall look a more refined quality but again, leaving a few buttons open on the shirt and leaving the waistcoat and blazer fully undone, relaxes the overall aesthetic.

A great look for nights out or those spring/summer evening parties when the temperature drops. Remember if you are layering in spring/summer, consider your materials. Breathable and lightweight materials are the preference, so seersucker would be a great choice for the blazer, whereas linen or cotton would be ideal for the shirt.

The Vaccines

I love what The Vaccines were doing in terms of keeping their outfits really simple but still effective and eye-catching. Here 3 of the 4 members of the band just opted for your simple jeans/chinos and long sleeve shirt combination – but just look at the stand-out quality of each shirt. First you have a navy shirt with block colour white panels [far left], then a striking red shirt [middle], then the great yellow shirt in the background [far right].

Pair these bold shirts with the right neutrals, and suddenly it becomes a true focal point of your outfit and makes it a statement piece. I love how the red is so deep in comparison to the black jeans, whilst the white jeans/chinos are an inspired choice which pick out the smaller panelling in the shirt.

Just goes to show that fashion doesn’t have to be hard if you get the basics down:

Chase & Status / Radiohead

I paired both of these together for the simple reason that both showed how to rock a hat in two very different ways. Half of Chase & Status [above left] rocked a simple Fred Perry tipped polo with a short brimmed fedora which looked to be made of straw or weave. Black is an easy colour to wear for most head types and shapes, whilst it is also a little more subtle, so if you haven’t worn a hat before or are lacking confidence it would be a wise place to start. A simple and easy to wear casual outfit that could be finished off with dark slim jeans and brogues for a smarter look, or bold coloured chinos (burgundy would be a great choice here to match the polo detailing) and trainers for something more summery and casual.

Ed from Radiohead [above right] showed that if you are willing to push your boundaries, then pulling off a bowler hat can be done. Again, if you opt for a dark neutral colour, then you often can’t go too far wrong. Pairing a dark wash denim shirt with a charcoal (could be navy) blazer produces a smart and refined look, which plays on materials and texture. Often bowler hats are made from felt, meaning there is yet another texture clash within this simple but effective outfit.

Love the fact he has buttoned the shirt right up to the top – one of my favourite looks right now when you skip the tie – and just adds to the smart, gentlemanly aesthetic the bowler gives off.

Biffy Clyro

Obviously with the Biffy boys you are never going to get a top half of an outfit, but this image jumped out at me because I would of liked to see what he would of paired with the bottom half! Love the combination of sky blue chinos with pink Converse – you have to be a real man to pull those off – and it gave off a very on trend, preppy vibe. This is just a great colour combination that I wanted to show you, as you could use it within your own outfits. How about sky blue chinos with a pink polo? A pink shirt underneath a blue knit? Even just a pink watch with a sky blue polo would look great.

To finish it off why not go the whole hog and introduce a third preppy colour such as a yellow knit or polo? Alternatively you could go white up top and let the bottom half do the talking.

The Kills

Jamie Hince from The Kills is a style icon in his own right - just ask Kate Moss – so I was expecting something special from him for his performance. Whilst he didn’t deliver anything outlandish, he was definitely one of the best dressed at the event and managed to do it through detailing. There is nothing ground breaking about a navy jacket (or overshirt/jacket hybrid) and dark wash jeans combination, but I love the styling of the jacket chest pockets, the collar cut, the material texture, and the fit – all of which are sublime.

He also added his own touches via rolling his sleeves and tucking his shirt/jacket into his belted jeans – this just looks much smarter and gives you a streamline silhouette from top to bottom. You cannot see from the images above (for video click here) but he was also wearing some skinny jeans and boots which gives a clean line all the way down the leg without a break.

The final touch he added came in the form of the silk scarf/cravat/neckerchief. All of these can be used to add individuality to your outfit, and regular readers will know that this is a big trend right now. Draping your scarf around your neck and tucking it into your shirt or jacket is one of my favourite ways to wear this accessory, and the beige patterned version Jamie is rocking sets off perfectly against the navy backdrop.

Tomorrow we will have part 2 of the Glastonbury style round-up, featuring: Coldplay, Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Pendulum and Kaiser Chiefs.

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There Are 11 Comments

Ben Saunders Posted On 29th June 2011:

Nice article, I didn’t actually get round to watching any of the acts this year, but from this, most people were looking sharp. The Kills and The Vaccines are looking best dressed from these I have to say. Though, I will mention, that there is a definite difference between wearing a bowler hat and pulling one of, while Ed attempted, I’d say most definitely failed

Grant Bradley Ford Posted On 29th June 2011:

Nice work. Its a shame the band HURTS werent playing Glastonbury. They are ridiculously slick. Kind of French resistance business chic. ha!

Katatonik Posted On 29th June 2011:

Hurts played Sunday on the John Peel stage.

Ben Herbert - FashionBeans Editor-In-Chief Posted On 29th June 2011:

They did indeed. Unfortunately I cannot find any photographs that do those all black outfits justice.

Elliot Posted On 29th June 2011:

It seems to me that you should have covered Noah and the Whale, who were by all accounts one of the best dressed acts all weekend!

Ben Herbert - FashionBeans Editor-In-Chief Posted On 29th June 2011:

Hi Elliot,

There is a second part coming tomorrow, and I will include them if you would like to see some images. However, although they did look superb (top article image) they were all just in sharp suits, which meant I couldn’t provide as much commentary about them or pick out interesting features. I may include them with Plan B, who also rocked a very nice 3 piece.

Sean Posted On 29th June 2011:

Please whatever you do, don’t feature Tinie Tempah – his style has always been poor, and glasto only proved so. The best dressed surely has to go to the boys from Everything Everything

Craig P Posted On 29th June 2011:

Friendly Fires are the most stylish band i saw at Glasto, also TDCC.

Gordy Posted On 1st July 2011:

Great article.loved all the style but you keep an eye on simon from Biffy.he has a very unique style.very classy

Incubus Posted On 9th July 2011:

The Link to the Jamie Hince-Shirt is down. Could you tell me what brand the Jacket is? Greets from Germany!

Will Posted On 20th July 2011:

you aren’t telling me that faris badwan of the horrors didn’t have a brilliant red leather jacket are you? i’m surprised you didn’t include them, i think they always look brilliant, and glasto only proved me right

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